


Foolish Games

by merycula (thanksillpass)



Category: Kuroko no Basuke | Kuroko's Basketball
Genre: Breaking Up & Making Up, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-20
Updated: 2015-02-20
Packaged: 2018-03-13 23:17:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,622
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3399905
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thanksillpass/pseuds/merycula
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Aomine and Sakurai have hundreds of reasons to break up. And they do every time, for every single one of them.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Foolish Games

Ryou didn’t think it was odd or surprising that he got a crush on Aomine Daiki. Touou’s ace was impressive in many ways – cool and attractive, if kind of arrogant and self-absorbed. But he paid attention to Ryou, he called him by his name, and sometimes spent his free time with him. He never made fun of him, always complimented his cooking, occasionally shown interest in Ryou’s hobbies. He even worked with him more than with anyone else on the basketball court. Aomine made  _him_  feel impressive.

The odd and surprising part was that Aomine seemed to like him back. It was surprising, because Aomine came off as an avid fan of breasts, which was something Ryou decidedly did not have, and it was odd, because Ryou was just a skinny apologetic mushroom, and Aomine could probably have whoever he wanted. Apparently, Ryou was who he wanted, and just like with everything else since they met, he  _demanded_  a relationship.

It lasted three hours.

Aomine just told him he’s made a mistake, and that he was changing his mind, because he had no idea how to date a guy, and that he would see him tomorrow in school. Ryou was too shocked to even cry, but he felt like his heart was just ripped out of his chest and stepped on. The shock didn’t really wear off for the rest of the week, when Aomine came back, demanding another chance. The moment Ryou dazedly agreed, was probably the moment when everything started to – slowly, but steadily – go completely crazy.

Aomine turned out to be far from a perfect boyfriend, which was something Ryou kind of expected, but he was happy; he just liked the way Aomine made him feel. Not much actually changed between them, at least at first. They didn’t start hanging out more, they didn’t talk more often, or on more mature subjects – the only difference was that they started kissing. Not that Ryou had anything to compare it to, but Aomine didn’t seem terribly skilled, and in the beginning, their kisses were awkward and uncoordinated, too wet or too dry, but it still felt good just to be close, and Ryou was satisfied.

But before they could get better at it, Aomine tried to cop a feel one day, and Ryou wasn’t comfortable with that at the point in their relationship.

“The hell, Ryou? You’re not into me, just say so! We don’t have to fucking date if you have some kind of problem with me!”

Ryou didn’t know what to say, he had no idea what he  _could_  say not to anger Aomine even more. He hated conflict, never knew how to act during a fight, so he did the only thing that he knew how to do – he apologized. Aomine seemed to have understood that as Ryou’s decision on the matter of their relationship, and broke up with him again. Ryou cried a lot this time, and he tried telling himself that it wasn’t his fault, and he even believed it, but it didn’t change the fact that he just gave up without trying.

When he saw Aomine three days later in school with a giant black eye, he forgot they weren’t together anymore, and he rushed to his side, gently holding his face, and apologizing frantically, as if the injury was his fault. It was, as it turned out – courtesy of Momoi, who explained a few things to Aomine very _explicitly._ Ryou kissed him goodbye after school, immediately apologizing for forgetting himself, but Aomine kissed him back, as if he was apologizing for something too, and just like that, they were back together again.

They broke up a lot after that.

Their relationship grew, and they were happy together, but the more they seemed to care for each other, and the more they tried to make it work, the more reasons they had to fight. Only they never actually  _fought_  – not with each other, not  _for_  each other. Aomine yelled, Ryou apologized, and one of them simply broke things off, sometimes for a few days, sometimes weeks, once a few months. There was always a reason, often something small and irrelevant, and it started to aggravate their friends, and exhaust them both.

It was weird, and abnormal by  _any_  standards, but it kind of became a routine for them, and they never ended up hating each other, never really  _hurt_  each other, so Ryou told himself that it didn’t matter  _how_  they dealt with conflict – that they were just a couple of naive teenagers, and they would figure it out eventually. What mattered was that they were in love. Because, strangely enough, Ryou actually fell in love at some point, and even though Aomine never actually  _said_  it, he always came back to him, so it had to count for something.

“So you’re saying you don’t like it when I bite you,” repeated Aomine, jaw set in a hard line. “And how many times have we fucked already over the past three months? Didn’t occur to you to, I don’t know,  _tell_  me? I’m not a mind reader!”

Ryou broke up with him instead of whacking him upside the head, and telling him to read his reactions whenever he was bit, because Aomine was right too – Ryou could have just told him, so it was his fault just as much as Aomine’s. That break-up was the most vivid memory, because Ryou kissed him, and told him he loved him right before he left his apartment, as if he didn’t just break up with him, but told him he was going shopping for dinner; as if neither of them believed they wouldn’t get back together again the next day, two days later at best.

It really  _was_  ridiculous. Until it wasn’t.

There was always one thing that bothered Ryou, constantly nagged at him, comfortably nestled in the back of his head – something he absolutely never talked about, out of fear it might finally ruin everything between them. Besides, it was just the magazines, at first, and it wasn’t like Aomine wasn’t looking at him because of those women, so Ryou didn’t  _really_  think it was necessary to bring it up. He understood that Aomine was attracted to both boys and girls, and he didn’t mind at all, knowing that this obsession with breasts didn’t make him love Ryou any less, but it would be nice if Aomine wasn’t so obvious about it.

Ryou just couldn’t help feeling like he was lacking something, but he didn’t want to act like a nagging, jealous boyfriend, which would inevitably lead to another fight, so he kept quiet – it was only pictures, after all.

“Damn, check out the rack on that girl,” said Aomine, whistling, and the table went silent.

Kuroko raised his eyebrows in surprise. “Aomine-kun, regardless of the fact that none of us is particularly interested in the female physique… Isn’t your boyfriend sitting  _right here?_  Don’t you think that Sakurai-kun would mind?”

“Of course he minds!” growled Kagami, before Ryou could protest. “What the fuck, Aomine?! That’s a new low, even for you!”

Ryou gasped, feeling himself panic because of the obvious tension between Aomine and Kagami. Before it could escalate to a conflict, Ryou muttered some apologies and assured everyone it wasn’t necessary to worry about him. No one pushed the issue, and Aomine seemed rather proud of him, but the mood didn’t lighten up, and Ryou felt guilty about ruining the evening. He didn’t feel too well when Aomine was walking him home either, and it was probably showing, because Ryou has never been good at pretending.

“Oi, Ryou, you’re not seriously upset about that stupid comment? I thought you didn’t mind.”

Ryou startled. “Uh, yes, no, I mean, I- I’m sorry!”

He took a deep breath to calm himself, but the wary way in which Aomine was watching him wasn’t helping. He didn’t want to fight, but he also didn’t want to lie, and it kind of made him feel nauseous. Aomine suddenly took his hand, which was just something he did whenever Ryou got stuck, probably instinctively, because he never looked Ryou in the eye, or tried to encourage him to speak in any way, and he just stared at their joint hands, as if casually curious about the way they fit together. It always made Ryou melt right to the core, and believe everything would be alright, so he nodded to himself and squeezed Aomine’s hand.

“It’s just… I  _understand,_  Aomine-kun, I do! But… It just… it doesn’t  _feel_  nice, I’m sorry… Ah, I’m not asking you to stop liking b-breasts! I’m sorry if it seemed like I do! I just… I’m sorry, it makes me feel jealous when you… a-appreciate other people when we’re together…”

Aomine just stared at him, oddly impassive. “But you don’t have boobs, so where am I supposed to get them?”

He didn’t sound accusing or malicious, he was innocently stating an obvious fact, and seemed surprised that Ryou didn’t see his point; he didn’t even let go of Ryou’s hand. It made him smile, because it was clear that Aomine wasn’t trying to hurt his feelings – he just didn’t understand he  _was._  Ryou knew it was stupid to say anything, and it wasn’t even a big deal, that obliviousness was just a part of Aomine’s charm, and it wasn’t like he wanted to upset Ryou on purpose.

“You’re right, Aomine-kun, I’m sorry for bringing it up,” he muttered bitterly, dropping his hand.

Aomine instantly grabbed it back, tightening his grip. “Don’t give me that tone, Ryou! If you want to say something, say it!”

“I’m sorry, I don’t want to fight!” squeaked Ryou, wringing his hand out of Aomine’s. “Let’s just go home, Aomine-kun, please.”

Aomine growled. “What do you want me to do, huh? What’s your damage? You have a problem with me, just say it!”

Ryou swallowed, clenching his eyes shut. “Alright! It’s awful, Aomine-kun! I’m sorry, but it’s awful, and it makes me feel like I will never be good enough! I’m sorry, I know I’m overreacting, but it’s just  _painful!_  So maybe… it’s better to s-stop now, before-”

“Fine,” seethed Aomine. “I don’t care. You wanna break up again? Great. Maybe this time it will stick.  _Fuck!_  See ya.”

He stomped off, leaving Ryou in the middle of the almost empty street, and it took him around three minutes to realize he was walking in the wrong direction. It was slightly awkward for Ryou to have Aomine pass him by again, but it was nothing compared to fact that he had to actually follow him for another fifteen minutes, unless he wanted to just stand there uselessly, until some police officer asked him if he was lost.

Ryou felt like crying the entire way, wanted to apologize, and take everything back countless times, before Aomine stopped abruptly and turned around, causing Ryou to walk right into him and almost fall down on his ass. Somewhere between Aomine begrudgingly helping him to keep balance and Ryou pulling away, there were desperate, salty kisses, hushed apologies, and Aomine was holding him so tightly like he never wanted to let go again, which made Ryou feel really stupid about his behavior.

Well, that was definitely the shortest break-up ever, but it certainly changed everything.

Ryou realized that Aomine would probably never, or at least not anytime soon, learn to properly express himself with words, that he might never actually  _hear_ that he’s good enough, and important, and loved. But Aomine was showing him his feelings all the time – with the way he refused to let go of his hand all the way home, daring the few remaining pedestrians to comment; with the way his hands were still shaking slightly when he was undressing Ryou back in his room, even though they’ve been sleeping together for over a year, on and off; with the way he tried not to break the kiss, as he rolled them over on the bed and spread his legs for Ryou, just barely, just enough to take the hint.

Ryou  _really_  hoped they didn’t wake up Aomine’s mom.

The smell of coffee woke him up, and the first thing he saw after opening his eyes, was Momoi’s face, smiling mischievously and pressing a finger to her mouth in a universal gesture. Funnily, Ryou was past the point of being embarrassed by her presence under any circumstances, and he couldn’t remember the last time his first instinct was to cover himself in a situation like that. He just smiled back, groaning softly as he sat up, and accepted the coffee, while Momoi looked at the mess on the floor with a knowing look.

“I’m gonna bet make-up sex,” she said lightly. “What was it this time, Sakurai-kun?”

Ryou blushed, ducking his head, and looking around his shoulder to see if Aomine was still sleeping. Momoi waved her hand nonchalantly, assuring him that the actual end of the world wouldn’t wake up Aomine before noon on a Sunday, as if Ryou didn’t know that. She handed him a t-shirt, and clicked her tongue when Ryou sent her a confused look, so he promptly put it on.

“Aomine-san’s making breakfast, and she told me to at least get  _you,_ ” she explained.

Ryou whimpered. “I knew we woke her up! Oh, God, I can’t go out there, I’m sorry!”

“Please, I’m sleeping with earplugs ever since you two started dating, I used to be a teenager, too. I noticed your shoes in the hallway.”

Ryou startled at the sound of Mrs. Aomine’s voice, and nearly spilled his coffee, abruptly getting up to greet her. His apologies were drowned by her laughter, and Momoi ushered him to the kitchen, where the smell of pancakes made Ryou’s mouth water. Mercifully, Momoi waited for them to finish eating before she started grilling him about the last night’s events, and Ryou had no choice but to confess everything, even in the presence of Aomine’s mother who, as Momoi assured him, would find out sooner or later. He didn’t expect both women to laugh, though.

“I’m sorry, but- this isn’t funny!” he objected, hiding his face behind his mug.

Momoi wiped a stray tear from her eye. “It kind of is, Sakurai-kun… You guys are ridiculous. You break up over the stupidest reasons, I swear. The tiniest sign of trouble, and your immediate solution is to just get as far away from it, _and_  each other, as possible… I know healthy communication isn’t exactly Dai-chan’s forte, but you’re no better! You need to be more assertive, Sakurai-kun. You could have handled it in a thousand different ways, you know how  _dumb_ he is…”

Mrs. Aomine nodded sagely. “You could have said he’d never see you naked again, if he didn’t stop staring at other people’s boobs! Hell, even threatening to cut off his lunches would be enough! I don’t know where I have gone wrong to raise such a pervert… Damn it, I feel like I should ground him…”

Ryou blushed mainly because of Mrs. Aomine’s straightforwardness, but he was also embarrassed to admit that he simply wasn’t confident Aomine would actually choose  _him,_  so it seemed like a less humiliating option to be the one to break things off between them, even if it was for good this time. He regretted it now, and he was ashamed of himself, but at the same time, he felt like they needed it, like  _he_  needed it, to move forward.

“Sakurai-kun, don’t tell me,” started Momoi, gaping at him. “Don’t tell me you thought he’d choose a stranger’s breasts over you…”

Ryou only winced, as always equally impressed and terrified by Momoi’s analytical skills. “I’m sorry!”

“Wow, you might actually be even dumber than Dai-chan,” she realized, outraged. “He  _loves_  you. I know he’s an insensitive jerk, but he  _loves_  you, and he will always choose you, you have to know that!”

“I do,” promised Ryou, simultaneously embarrassed and uplifted by the conviction in Momoi’s words. “I’m sorry, I know that now. I was insecure and I just… I wasn’t looking for the signs in the right places… I’m sorry.”

Momoi smiled fondly, patting his hand. “Sakurai-kun, I have known Dai-chan all my life, and it took him thirteen years to actually open up, but he was always there for  _me._  Well, usually. Err, sometimes? My point is, it’s just who he  _is…_ ”

“Tell me about it…” said Mrs. Aomine with a sigh. “I’m his  _mother,_  and he never tells me anything. Daiki came home  _crying_  one time, told me he broke his femur. Didn’t see any bones sticking out, so I figured it was a code for heart, but Satsu-chan had to fill the blanks. You guys split up for about three months then, and he was a complete mess the entire summer, but he never said a word.”

Ryou remembered that time, and he shuddered at the memory of the utter despair he felt for all those endless weeks. He didn’t think it was a good idea to admit that they broke up because of a disagreement over the summer vacation plans, because it was simply laughable at this point, and it actually might  _kill_ Mrs. Aomine, or at least her faith in humanity. He didn’t find out if she actually wanted to learn the reason for that break-up, because her son walked in with a loud yawn.

Ryou blushed at the sight of him, wearing only his boxers and a stupid grin, lazily rubbing the spot on his shoulder that Ryou very distinctly remembered sinking his teeth into when he came. Aomine put his hand in Ryou’s hair, lightly scraping his scalp, which almost made Ryou’s eyes roll back in his head, and nudged for him to scoot over with his hip. Ryou immediately stood up, mostly to make room for Aomine on his chair, but partly to escape the deadly head-rubs, which could get really embarrassing really quickly, given that they weren’t alone.

Momoi pouted. “There is another chair literally right here, Dai-chan!”

“Shut up, ugly,” muttered Aomine sleepily, unceremoniously scooping Ryou to sit on his lap, and buried his face in the nape of his neck, taking a deep breath, and sighing contentedly.

Ryou flushed, barely suppressing a shiver. “Aomine-kun… I’m sorry, I’m all sweaty…” he protested weakly.

“I know,” drawled Aomine, grinning widely into Ryou’s skin, as he tightened his hold on his waist. “I remember you working up that sweat last night…”

Ryou never got so hot so fast in his life, and Aomine still rubbing his face against his neck like a cat, in front of his  _mother,_  wasn’t helping at all. In his daze, he barely registered Aomine lifting his right hand, which was confusing for about half a second, before his mom  _high-fived_  him.

“Auntie!” chided Momoi.  _“Really?”_

“I have to!” she cried defensively. “He’d never have anyone to high-five him otherwise! I can’t do that to my only son!”

Aomine groaned in embarrassment, finally detaching himself from Ryou to firmly declare his hatred for both women. Ryou listened to them squabble for a moment, feeling oddly content – he really loved staying over at Aomine’s house, where it was always loud and lively, but comfortably domestic at the same time. He was almost sad when Aomine finished eating, and childishly decided they were going back to his room.

“Yes, and you will clean it up,” clarified Mrs. Aomine before they could leave the kitchen. “Satsu-chan and I are going shopping.”

“Should I make dinner?” offered Ryou impulsively. “I’m sorry if I’m too forward, I-”

Mrs. Aomine didn’t let him finish, as she suddenly hugged him tightly – Ryou was too surprised to react in any way, and he must have looked rather silly with his arms hanging uselessly by his sides. Mrs. Aomine pulled away after a long moment, and put her hands on his cheeks, smiling at him fondly. Then, she kissed his forehead and ruffled his hair, grinning.

“Just don’t break up while we’re gone~”

Aomine dragged him to his room, poorly concealing an embarrassed blush, and immediately flung them both on the bed. Ryou was still flushed when his back hit the mattress, and the added weight of Aomine didn’t help his face go back to its normal color, but he couldn’t care less – Aomine would flip them over in a while anyway. Up until last night, Ryou was convinced that Aomine didn’t like resting his head on his chest because it wasn’t soft, but now he was starting to realize that Aomine was just perfectly aware that he was too heavy for him in the long run. It clawed at something in his stomach, and he couldn’t help tightly wrapping his arms around Aomine’s waist and pressing a kiss to his chest.

“What was that for?” muttered Aomine, already drifting off back to sleep.

Ryou chuckled. “Sorry, it’s nothing. I love you…”

Aomine didn’t respond, but Ryou could feel the sudden wave of heat radiating of his body, hear the small hitch in his breath, and he wasn’t going to expect anything beyond those small clues. He has never blamed Aomine for the way their relationship was, feeling equally responsible, but now he was forced to acknowledge that he alone was guilty of not giving Aomine enough credit, and he had a lot to make up for. I didn’t matter that it was the result of dozens of break-ups, instead of actual conversations – Aomine  _changed_ , every single time, improving himself for Ryou’s sake, and now it was his turn.

“You know I do too, right?” mumbled Aomine sleepily.

Ryou’s heart skipped a beat, and he simply nodded. “I know, Aomine-kun.”


End file.
